I'm back in Hong Kong today. I flew in from Ho Chi MIn City last night. Now, for those of you who are wondering what the difference between Ho Chi Min City and Saigon is, here is the most definitive answer I could find. Saigon is a section of the old part of town, the area where I stayed. Ho Chi Min City is the larger area that includes the area known as Saigon. Other explanations are that people from the north call the city formerly known as Saigon HCMC in homage to Ho Chi Min - as that's what it was renamed, in his honor, after the fall in '75. But, many southerners and people who are older like to refer to it still as Saigon. Then there are people like me who just think it's a heck of a lot easier to say Saigon than HCMC.

 

There were signs announcing APEC all over the city and posters proclaiming many governmental slogans. My tour guide Ve interpreted several for me. Most proclaimed the glory of the reunification of the Vietnamese country. When we drove to the tunnels of Cu Chi on Sunday morning we talked a bit about the war. He was from the Mekong Delta, was born in '82 and had a very neutral take on things. He said that his parents were in school during the war and it didn't affect them... He said that young people in VN do not like to talk politics. I spoke to an American living in HCMC who said that was because the young people are discouraged from being political, that the government is very controlling and many unpleasant things that happen there today do not get reported internally. There was also a difference in attitudes between the north and south, older and younger people. But, whatever way you look at it they still seem to like Americans a lot.

 

It was a rather emotional drive to the tunnels which were about an hour away from my hotel, but still within the city limits of HCMC. The drive took us through beautiful lush green countryside with lots of skinny cows and dog statues on the entrance pillars to many houses. And of course there were still many, many motorcycles loaded with huge parcels and produce and people with face masks. I'm glad I had on my sunglasses as we began to drive through the rubber tree forests, nearing the tunnels. My eyes began to leak from a welling of emotion from memories of talking with my Vietnamese sister Mai, back in the 70s when she lived with my family in Pasadena. We would talk about the horrors of the war. She had lost family members and said she didn't care who was in power, she just wanted the war to be over.

 

The visit to the tunnels was amazing. They were so ingenious. Ve made sure to point out that these tunnels were not just for the American war but had been built years before for previous wars - so they represented years of refining their cleverness. There were several layers of tunnels connecting meeting rooms, a kitchen, planning rooms and living quarters. The dirt above, when mixed with water became very strong - it almost looked like cement and so could support the tunnels below. There were so many creepy traps on display,featuring bamboo and iron spikes of torture. When they cooked their meals they diverted the smoke to another area away from the tunnels, so that if the enemy saw smoke, they would bomb an insignificant area and not get hurt.

 

When we arrived at the tunnels Ve told me I would see a propaganda movie. I had read about the movie in Frommer's so I wasn't surprised. The film was from '64, in black & white and very over the top. I was then shown around the tunnels. I got to crawl through the upper level. There were 3 levels one could go through. Being a large American woman, the first level was enough claustrophobia for me. I had to get down on my knees and the going was slow. There was a group of Japanese tourists behind me who kept bumping into me (you couldn't see much down there) and giggling. Some of the openings to the tunnels were about the size of a large doggie door. There was an American tank that had been blown up by a hidden bomb on display. It had never been moved - was right where it was when it ran over the bomb. There was also had an area where you could fire guns with real bullets. I opted just to sneak down there with Ve for a photo op.  They also had a woman demonstrating the making of rice pancakes and a man making rice wine. The wine tasted, on first sip, like sake but then exploded with a strong taste of vodka. 

 

That night I was invited to Mai's niece's house for dinner. What an experience. I was so lucky to see beyond what the normal visitor to Saigon gets to see. I was greeted at the hotel by the niece's daughter Ahn who accompanied me, by taxi, to their house. She's 18, in her first year of college and such a typical teenager. Her body language and vocal inflections would fit right in, in CA. They live about 20 - 30 minutes from the hotel. It was Sunday night rush hour. You can't imagine how many motor cycles there were. We finally turned off the main streets into a more private smaller street. I felt like I had found a hidden area. We kept driving and driving through small alleys and then I began to feel like a rat in a maze. Finally we reached their house. It was very tall and skinny as most houses in VN are, but had a very private feel to it. The whole family was there to greet me. I got to meet Mai's sister and her mother. I couldn't believe I was actually meeting Mai's mother. She's been sick the past few years and had been in the hospital last week but was there to meet me. A very little, very gracious and beautiful woman and I was so touched to meet her. There were three brothers, their wives and lots of kids running around. The kids were very shy but practiced their English on me. One of the brothers, Hoang, was very friendly and his English was good. It turns out that he's a beer salesman for Heineken and Tiger beer. We got along very well. They had a lovely meal of many dishes, duck, pork, greens, mushrooms, etc with rice and told me to be careful with the chili peppers (ha). Then they had dragon fruit, watermelon and bananas for dessert - and of course, Tiger beer, which they drink with ice. Dragon fruit sort of looks like a pineapple without the top, but it's got smoother skin and is pink on the edges. The fruit, when peeled, is white with black dots, very visually stunning. The bananas here are all very small but taste the same as the ones back home.

 

The next day I went to the reunification palace which you all probably remember from the fall in '75 when the tank stormed the gates. It was were Henry Kissinger met with the government. in the 70s. It was rather a study in design from the '60s which is when it was built. The bunkers were very interesting with all the old communication equipment. The dining and meeting rooms looked frozen in time (from the Jackie Kennedy era) and they had a lush screening room. The photo displays had a strong propaganda slant to them. And yes, I did more shopping in Saigon and had another dress made. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to shut my suitcases but I did! At the airport in HCMC they had a massage place right across from my gate so I had a foot massage right before my flight. It was fantastic. I arrived back in Hong Kong, at Sally's about midnight. It felt nice to be back in Hong Kong. I was missing VN when I flew out but there's something so cosmopolitan, clean and easy about Hong Kong that's comforting and cheered me up on my arrival. Now if I only didn't catch a cold I'd be REALLY happy.

 

 

 

My Travels

Tuesday, November 14, 2006